Supreme Court upholds affirmative action ban

posted by Kevin Spak, Newser Staff
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2 years ago

(NEWSER) – The Supreme Court today upheld Michigan's ban on affirmative action in public college admissions and state hiring, in a decisive 6-2 decision. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor were the only dissenting votes, with Elena Kagan having recused herself, Politico reports. The case revolved around a 2006 ballot measure, approved by 58% of voters—which itself came after a 2003 high court decision upholding the practice at the University of Michigan's law school. The decision was widely expected, according to the Wall Street Journal. "This case is not about the constitutionality, or the merits, of race-conscious admission policies," Anthony Kennedy wrote in an opinion for a plurality that included John Roberts and Samuel Alito (pdf here); the AP notes there were four opinions in support of the outcome.